Audi has gone the Porsche, BMW, Bentley and Nissan way in India and after appointing a couple of dealers has launched its flagship model, the A8 in the country. After driving the Audi both in the city and on the highways, Yogendra Pratap feels that Audi A8 L 4.2 quattro definitely leads through technology and has pushed the envelope for super luxury cars in India more than a little bit further.

We have all waxed eloquent when we have tested the existing top of the line cars in the country but that was perhaps because there weren't too many of them or there were ones that were so very expensive that they would not be able to conjure up double-digit annual volumes. But Audi would be looking to do much better than that given the fact that its competition, in the form of the Mercedes-Benz S-class is doing double-digit monthly sales. And given the fact that it manages to keep both the S-class and the BMW 7-series within striking distance on home turf where the competition is the fiercest speaks volumes for the car. Its western Europe 2004 sales of 12,205 units, though slightly less than the 12,445 units of the BMW 7-series and 13,357 units of the S-class come on the back of an increase in volumes over the previous year while both of the others have seen a significant decline in volumes. And if one were to solely take 8- and 12-cylinder cars, then the A8 comfortably outsells them both.

But one does not really need to establish Audi's credentials in a country which has had a very old love affair with the four rings as it celebrated with the Champion of Champions and his prize - an Audi 100.

But the company has come a long way since then and so have its products. Ravi Shastri who has been a proud owner of Audis for nearly two decades now says that an A8 is 'driving nirvana' and the following road test reveals just how much of that is really true.